Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis
ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
You should read the following
management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations in conjunction with our unaudited condensed
financial statements and notes thereto included in Part I, Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and with our audited financial
statements and related notes thereto and Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations included
in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, on July 30, 2024.
NOTE ABOUT FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities
Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). This section should
be read in conjunction with our unaudited condensed financial statements and related notes included in Part I, Item 1 of this report.
The statements contained in this report that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A
of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act.
These statements relate to
future events or our future financial performance. We have attempted to identify forward-looking statements by terminology including “anticipates,”
“believes,” “expects,” “can,” “continue,” “could,” “estimates,”
“expects,” “intends,” “may,” “plans,” “potential,” “predict,”
“should” or “will” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These statements are only predictions;
uncertainties and other factors may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different
from any future results, levels or activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Although
we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels
of activity, performance or achievements.
In this Quarterly Report,
unless the context requires otherwise, references to the “Company,” “Alzamend,” “we,” “our company”
and “us” refer to Alzamend Neuro, Inc., a Delaware corporation.
Overview
We were incorporated on February
26, 2016, as Alzamend Neuro, Inc. under the laws of the State of Delaware. We were formed to acquire and commercialize patented intellectual
property and know-how to prevent, treat and potentially cure the crippling and deadly Alzheimer’s disease (“Alzheimer’s”).
With our two product candidates, we aim to bring treatment or cures not only for Alzheimer’s, but also bipolar disorder (“BD”),
major depressive disorder (“MDD”) and post-traumatic stress disorder (“PTSD”). Existing Alzheimer’s treatments
only temporarily relieve symptoms but do not, to our knowledge, slow or halt the underlying progression of the disease. We have developed
a novel approach to combat Alzheimer’s through immunotherapy.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Research and Development
Expenses . Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. Research and development costs consist of scientific consulting
fees and lab supplies, as well as fees paid to other entities that conduct certain research and development activities on behalf of our
company.
We have acquired and may continue to acquire the rights to develop
and commercialize new product candidates from third parties. The upfront payments to acquire license, product or rights, as well as any
future milestone payments, are immediately recognized as research and development expense, provided that there is no alternative future
use of the rights in other research and development projects.
Stock-Based Compensation. We
maintain a stock-based compensation plan as a long-term incentive for employees, non-employee directors and consultants. The plan allows
for the issuance of incentive stock options, non-qualified stock options, restricted stock units, and other forms of equity awards.
We recognize stock-based compensation
expense for stock options on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period and account for forfeitures as they occur. Our stock-based
compensation costs are based upon the grant date fair value of options estimated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. To the
extent any stock option grants are made subject to the achievement of a performance-based milestone, management evaluates when the achievement
of any such performance-based milestone is probable based on the relative satisfaction of the performance conditions as of the reporting
date.
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The Black-Scholes option pricing
model utilizes inputs which are highly subjective assumptions and generally require significant judgment. These assumptions include:
· Risk-Free Interest Rate. The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury
zero coupon issues in effect at the time of grant for periods corresponding with the expected term of the option.
· Expected Volatility. Because we do not have a sufficient trading history for our common
stock (“Common Stock”), the expected volatility was estimated based on the average volatility for comparable publicly traded
life sciences companies over a period equal to the expected term of the stock option grants. The comparable companies were chosen based
on the similar size, stage in life cycle or area of specialty. We will continue to apply this process until a sufficient amount of historical
information regarding the volatility of our own stock price becomes available.
· Expected Term. The expected term represents the period that the stock-based awards
are expected to be outstanding and is determined using the simplified method (based on the mid-point between the vesting date and the
end of the contractual term), as we do not have sufficient historical data to use any other method to estimate expected term.
· Expected Dividend Yield. We have never paid dividends on our Common Stock and have
no plans to pay dividends on our Common Stock. Therefore, we used an expected dividend yield of zero.
Certain of these assumptions
involve inherent uncertainties and the application of significant judgment. As a result, if factors or expected outcomes change and we
use significantly different assumptions or estimates, our stock-based compensation could be materially different.
Preferred Stock Classification.
We analyze the terms of our preferred stock using Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 480, Distinguishing Liabilities
from Equity , to determine whether our preferred stock should be classified as a liability or equity, and if classified as equity,
permanent or temporary. Common criteria we consider are redemption provisions, conversion options, cumulative of mandatory fixed dividends,
discretionary dividends based on earning, voting rights and collateral requirements.
Plan of Operations
We
intend to develop and commercialize therapeutics and vaccines that are better than existing treatments and have the potential to significantly
improve the lives of individuals afflicted by Alzheimer’s, BD, MDD and PTSD. To achieve these goals, we are pursuing the following
key business strategies:
· Advance clinical development of AL001 for Alzheimer’s, BD, MDD and PTSD treatment;
· Advance clinical development of ALZN002 for Alzheimer’s treatment;
· Expand our pipeline of pharmaceuticals to include additional indications for AL001 and delivery methods;
· Focus on translational and functional endpoints to efficiently develop product candidates; and
· Optimize the value of AL001 and ALZN002 in major markets.
Our
pipeline consists of two novel therapeutic drug candidates:
· AL001 - A patented ionic cocrystal technology delivering a therapeutic combination of lithium, salicylate
and proline through three royalty-bearing exclusive worldwide licenses from the University of South Florida Research Foundation, Inc.,
as licensor (the “Licensor”); and
· ALZN002 - A patented method using a mutant peptide sensitized cell as a cell-based therapeutic vaccine
that seeks to restore the ability of a patient’s immunological system to combat Alzheimer’s through a royalty-bearing exclusive
worldwide license from the Licensor.
Our
most advanced product candidate (lead product) licensed and in clinical development in humans is AL001, an ionic cocrystal of lithium
for the treatment of Alzheimer’s, BD, MDD and PTSD. Based on our preclinical data involving mice models, AL001 treatment prevented
cognitive deficits, depression and irritability and is superior in improving associative learning and memory and irritability compared
with lithium carbonate treatments, supporting the potential of this lithium formulation for the treatment of Alzheimer’s, BD, MDD
and PTSD in humans. Lithium has been marketed for more than 35 years and human toxicology regarding lithium use has been well characterized,
potentially mitigating the regulatory burden for safety data.
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On
May 5, 2022, we initiated a multiple-dose, steady-state, double-blind, ascending dose safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetic clinical trial
of AL001 in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s and healthy subjects. We completed the Phase IIA clinical trial in March
2023 and announced positive topline data in June 2023.
We
announced that we successfully identified a maximum tolerated dose (“MTD”) for development of AL001 from a multiple-ascending
dose study as assessed by an independent safety review committee. This dose, providing lithium at a lithium carbonate equivalent dose
of 240 mg 3-times daily (“TID”), is designed to be unlikely to require lithium therapeutic drug monitoring (“TDM”).
Also, this MTD is risk mitigated for the purpose of treating fragile populations, such as Alzheimer’s patients.
Lithium is a commonly prescribed
drug for manic episodes in BD type 1 as well as maintenance therapy of BD in patients with a history of manic episodes. Lithium is also
prescribed off-label for MDD, BD and treatment of PTSD, among other disorders. Lithium was the first mood stabilizer approved by the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) and is still a first-line treatment option (considered the “gold standard”)
but is underutilized perhaps because of the need for TDM. Lithium was the first drug that required TDM by regulatory authorities in product
labelling because the effective and safe range of therapeutic drug blood concentrations is narrow and well defined for treatment of BD
when using lithium salts. Excursions above this range can be toxic, and below can impair effectiveness.
Based
on the results from our Phase IIA MAD study, we plan to initiate two safety and efficacy clinical trials in subjects with mild to moderate
dementia of the Alzheimer’s type. Additionally, we are investigating the potential of AL001 for patients suffering from BD, MDD
and PTSD, and submitted investigational new drug (“IND”) applications to the FDA for these indications. The IND for BD was
submitted in August 2023 and we received a “study may proceed” letter from the FDA in September 2023. The IND for MDD was
submitted in October 2023 and we received a “study may proceed” letter from the FDA in November 2023. The IND for PTSD was
submitted in November 2023 and we received a “study may proceed” from the FDA in December 2023.
We
intend to initiate clinical trials in 2025 at this MTD to determine relative increased lithium levels in the brain compared to a marketed
lithium salt for Alzheimer’s, BD, MDD and PTSD, based on published mouse studies that predict that lithium can be given at lower
doses for equivalent therapeutic benefit when treating with AL001. For example, the goal is to replace a 300 mg TID lithium carbonate
dose for treatment of BD with a 240 mg TID AL001 lithium equivalent, which represents a daily decrease of 20% of lithium given to a patient.
In August 2024, we announced that we had partnered with Massachusetts General Hospital to serve as the CRO for these clinical trials.
On
September 28, 2022, we submitted an IND application to the FDA for ALZN002 and received a “study may proceed” letter on October
31, 2022. The product candidate is an immunotherapy vaccine designed to treat mild to moderate dementia of the Alzheimer’s type.
ALZN002 is a proprietary “active” immunotherapy product, which means it is produced by each patient’s immune system.
It consists of autologous DCs that are activated white blood cells taken from each individual patient so that they can be engineered outside
of the body to attack Alzheimer’s-related amyloid-beta proteins. These DCs are pulsed with a novel amyloid-beta peptide (E22W) designed
to bolster the ability of the patient’s immune system to combat Alzheimer’s, with the goal being to foster tolerance to treatment
for safety purposes while stimulating the immune system to reduce the brain’s beta-amyloid protein burden, resulting in reduced
Alzheimer’s signs and symptoms. Compared to passive immunization treatment approaches that use foreign blood products (such as monoclonal
antibodies), active immunization with ALZN002 is anticipated to offer a more robust and long-lasting effect on the clearance of amyloid.
This could provide a safer approach due to its reliance on autologous immune components, using each individual patient’s own white
blood cells rather than foreign cells and/or blood products.
On
April 3, 2023, we announced the initiation of a Phase I/IIA clinical trial for ALZN002 to treat mild to moderate dementia of the Alzheimer’s
type. The purpose of this trial is to assess the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of multiple ascending doses of ALZN002 compared with
that of a placebo in 20-30 subjects with mild to moderate morbidity. The primary goal of this clinical trial is to determine an appropriate
dose of ALZN002 for treatment of patients with Alzheimer’s in a larger Phase IIB efficacy and safety clinical trial. On February
13, 2024, we received notice from the company we engaged as our contract research organization (“CRO”), Biorasi, LLC (“Biorasi”)
that Biorasi was terminating our contract with them. We are currently pursuing the engagement of a replacement CRO.
The
continuation of our current plan of operations with respect to initiating and conducting the series of human clinical trials for each
of our therapeutics requires us to raise additional capital to fund our operations.
Because
our working capital requirements depend upon numerous factors, including the progress of our preclinical and clinical testing, timing
and cost of obtaining regulatory approvals, changes in levels of resources that we devote to the development of manufacturing and marketing
capabilities, competitive and technological advances, status of competitors, and our ability to establish collaborative arrangements with
other organizations, we will require additional financing to fund future operations.
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Results of Operations
Results of Operations for the Three Months Ended July 31,
2024 and 2023
The following table summarizes
the results of our operations for the three months ended July 31, 2024 and 2023:
For the Three Months Ended July 31,
2024
2023
$ Change
% Change
OPERATING EXPENSES
Research and development
$ 206,571
$ 2,366,137
$ (2,159,566 )
-91 %
General and administrative
755,834
1,159,794
(403,960 )
-35 %
Total operating expenses
962,405
3,525,931
(2,563,526 )
-73 %
Loss from operations
(962,405 )
(3,525,931 )
2,563,526
73 %
OTHER EXPENSE, NET
Interest expense
(12,006 )
(1,835 )
(10,171 )
-554 %
Total other expense, net
(12,006 )
(1,835 )
(10,171 )
-554 %
NET LOSS
$ (974,411 )
$ (3,527,766 )
$ 2,553,355
72 %
Basic and diluted net loss per common share
$ (1.25 )
$ (5.38 )
$ 4.12
*
Basic and diluted weighted average common shares outstanding
777,821
656,267
*
* Not meaningful
Revenue
We
currently have only two product candidates, AL001 and ALZN002. These products are in the clinical stage of development and will require
extensive clinical study, review and evaluation, regulatory review and approval, significant marketing efforts and substantial investment
before either or both of them, and any respective successors, will provide us with any revenue. We did not generate any revenues
during the three months ended July 31, 2024 and 2023, and we do not anticipate that we will generate revenue for the foreseeable future.
Research and Development Expenses
Research and development expenses
for the three months ended July 31, 2024 and 2023 were $207,000 and $2.4 million, respectively. As reflected in the table below, research
and development expenses primarily consisted of professional fees and clinical trial fees:
For the Three Months Ended July 31,
2024
2023
$ Change
% Change
Professional fees
$ 184,164
$ 1,069,589
$ (885,425 )
-83 %
Clinical trial fees
-
1,245,118
(1,245,118 )
-100 %
Other research and development expenses
22,407
51,430
(29,023 )
-56 %
Total research and development expenses
$ 206,571
$ 2,366,137
$ (2,159,566 )
-91 %
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Professional Fees
During the three months ended
July 31, 2024 and 2023, we incurred professional fees of $184,000 and $1.1 million, respectively, which were primarily comprised of professional
fees attributed to various types of scientific services, including FDA consulting services. The decrease relates to lower professional
fees incurred related to minimal clinical trial activities.
Clinical Trial Fees
During the three months ended
July 31, 2024 and 2023, we incurred clinical trial fees of nil and $1.2 million, respectively. We had no clinical trial activity for the
three months ended July 31, 2024. Clinical trial fees for the three months ended July 31, 2023 were for our Phase IIA clinical trial for
AL001 and our Phase I/IIA clinical trial for ALZN002.
Other Research and Development Expenses
During the three months ended
July 31, 2024 and 2023, we incurred other fees of $22,000 and $51,000, respectively, which were primarily comprised of scientific materials
required for our clinical trials.
General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative
expenses for the three months ended July 31, 2024 and 2023 were $756,000 and $1.2 million, respectively. As reflected in the table below,
general and administrative expenses primarily consisted of the following expense categories: salaries and benefits; professional fees;
insurance; stock-based compensation expense; marketing fees; as well as board of director fees. For the three months ended July 31, 2024
and 2023, the remaining general and administrative expenses of $62,000 and $83,000, respectively, primarily consisted of payments for
filing fees, transfer agent fees, travel and entertainment and other office expenses, none of which was significant individually.
For the Three Months Ended July 31,
2024
2023
$ Change
% Change
Salaries and benefits
$ 227,795
$ 153,324
$ 74,471
49 %
Professional fees
222,427
151,180
71,247
47 %
Insurance
78,395
117,696
(39,301 )
-33 %
Stock-based compensation expense
81,277
369,380
(288,103 )
-78 %
Marketing fees
40,000
247,334
(207,334 )
-84 %
Board of director fees
43,750
37,500
6,250
17 %
Other general and administrative expenses
62,190
83,380
(21,190 )
-25 %
Total general and administrative expenses
$ 755,834
$ 1,159,794
$ (403,960 )
-35 %
Salaries and Benefits
During the three months ended
July 31, 2024 and 2023, we incurred $228,000 and $153,000, respectively, in employee-related expenses. The decrease in salaries and benefits
was due to a reversal of bonus accrual. As of July 31, 2024, we had four full-time and three part-time employees.
Professional Fees
During the three months ended
July 31, 2024 and 2023, we incurred professional fees of $222,000 and $151,000, respectively. During the three months ended July 31, 2024,
we incurred $85,000 in investor relations fees, $74,000 in legal fees, $56,000 in audit fees, and $7,000 in tax preparation fees. During
the three months ended July 31, 2023, we incurred $78,000 in audit fees, $29,000 in investor relations fees, $16,000 in tax preparation
fees, $13,000 in related party consulting, $6,000 in Sarbanes-Oxley compliance fees and $9,000 in other professional fees. The increase
in professional fees was due mainly to investor relations related to our reverse split and legal fees, partially offset by lower related
party consulting, audit fees and tax preparation fees.
Insurance Expense
During the three months ended
July 31, 2024 and 2023, we incurred insurance expense of $78,000 and $118,000, respectively, which was primarily directors’ and
officers’ insurance.
Stock-Based Compensation Expense
During the three months ended
July 31, 2024 and 2023, we incurred general and administrative stock-based compensation expense of $81,000 and $369,000, respectively,
related to stock option grants and restricted stock grants to executives, employees and consultants. The decrease in stock-based compensation
expense for the three months ended July 31, 2024 was a result of fewer stock options vesting during the period compared to the prior year
period.
22
Marketing Fees
During the three months ended
July 31, 2024 and 2023, we incurred marketing fees of $40,000 and $247,000, respectively. The decrease was due to the completion of the
marketing and branding agreement with Ault Alliance, Inc.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
The accompanying condensed
financial statements have been prepared assuming that we will continue as a going concern. We have incurred recurring net losses and operations
have not provided sufficient cash flows. We believe that we will continue to incur operating and net losses each quarter until at least
the time we are able to generate revenues from operations. We believe our current cash on hand is
insufficient to fund our planned operations through one year after the date the condensed financial statements are issued. These factors
create substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern for at least one year after the date that our condensed financial
statements are issued.
Our inability to continue as
a going concern could have a negative impact on our company, including our ability to obtain needed financing.
We intend to finance our future development activities and our working capital needs largely through the sale of equity securities with
some additional funding from other sources, including debt financing, until such time as funds provided by operations are sufficient to
fund working capital requirements. Our condensed financial statements do not include any adjustments relating to the recoverability and
classification of recorded assets, or the amounts and classifications of liabilities that might be necessary should we be unable to continue
as a going concern. As of July 31, 2024, we had cash of $1.2 million, a working capital deficiency of $1.5 million, an accumulated deficit
of $55.0 million and stockholders’ deficit of $1.2 million. We have incurred recurring losses and reported losses for the three
ended July 31, 2024 totaling $974,000. In the past, we have financed our operations principally through sales of equity securities and
debt instruments.
We will need to obtain substantial
additional funding in the future for our clinical development activities and continuing operations. If we are unable to raise capital
when needed or on favorable terms, we would be forced to delay, reduce, or eliminate our research and development programs or future commercialization
efforts. Our future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including:
· successful enrollment in and completion of clinical trials;
· our ability to establish agreements with third-party manufacturers for clinical supply for our clinical
trials and, if our product candidates are approved, commercial manufacturing;
· our ability to maintain our current research and development programs and establish new research and development
programs;
· addition and retention of key research and development personnel;
· our efforts to enhance operational, financial, and information management systems, and hire additional
personnel, including personnel to support development of our product candidates;
· negotiating favorable terms in any collaboration, licensing, or other arrangements into which we may enter
and performing our obligations in such collaborations;
· the timing and amount of milestone and other payments we may receive under our collaboration arrangements;
· our eventual commercialization plans for our product candidates;
· the costs involved in prosecuting, defending, and enforcing patent claims and other intellectual property
claims; and
· the costs and timing of regulatory approvals.
A change in the outcome of
any of these or other variables with respect to the development of any of our product candidates could significantly change the costs
and timing associated with the development of that product candidate. Furthermore, our operating plans may change in the future, and we
may need additional funds to meet operational needs and capital requirements associated with such operating plans.
23
Series
B Preferred Financing
On
January 31, 2024, we entered into a securities purchase agreement (“AL SPA”) with Ault Lending, LLC (“Ault Lending”)
whereby Ault Lending may purchase of up to 6,000 shares of series B convertible preferred stock (“Series B Convertible Preferred
Stock”) and warrants to purchase shares up to 600,000 shares of our common stock. The AL SPA provides that Ault Lending may purchase
up to $6 million of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock in one or more closings. Ault Lending has the right to purchase up to $2 million
of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock, on or before March 31, 2024, and the right to purchase up to $4 million of Series B Convertible
Preferred Stock after March 31, 2024, but on or before March 31, 2025 (the “Termination Date”). The Agreement will automatically
terminate if the final closing has not occurred prior to the Termination Date.
During
the year ended April 30, 2024, we sold an aggregate of 2,100 shares of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock and warrants to purchase 210,000
shares of common stock with an exercise price of $12.00, for a total purchase price of $2.1 million. The
purchase price was paid by the cancellation of $1.15 million of cash advances made by Ault Lending to us between November 9, 2023 and
January 31, 2024 and the remaining $950,000 in cash.
The Series
B Convertible Preferred Stock has a stated value of $1,000 per share (“Series B Stated
Value”) and does not accrue dividends. Each share of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock is convertible into a number
of shares of common stock determined by dividing the Series B Stated Value by $10.00 (the
“ Series B Conversion Price”). The Series
B Conversion Price is subject to adjustment in the event of an issuance of common stock at a price per share lower than the Series
B Conversion Price then in effect, as well as upon customary stock splits, stock dividends, combinations or similar events.
The holders of the Series B Convertible Preferred Stock are entitled to vote with the common stock as a single class on an as-converted
basis, subject to applicable law provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law and Nasdaq, provided however, that for purposes of
complying with Nasdaq regulations, the conversion price, for purposes of determining the number of votes the holder of Series B Convertible
Preferred Stock is entitled to cast, shall not be lower than $8.73 (the “Voting Floor Price”), which represents the closing
sale price of the common stock on the trading day immediately prior to the date of execution of the AL SPA. The Voting Floor Price shall
be adjusted for stock dividends, stock splits, stock combinations and other similar transactions.
The
warrants have an exercise price of $12.00 (the “ Series B Exercise Price”)
and become exercisable on the first business day after the six-month anniversary of issuance (the “ Series
B Initial Exercise Date”) and have a five-year term, expiring on the fifth anniversary of the Series
B Initial Exercise Date. The Series B Exercise Price is subject to
adjustment in the event of an issuance of common stock at a price per share lower than the Series
B Exercise Price then in effect, as well as upon customary stock splits, stock dividends, combinations or similar events.
Series A Preferred Financing
On
May 8, 2024, we and Orchid Finance, LLC (“Orchid”) , entered into a securities purchase agreement (the “Orchid
SPA”) for the purchase of up to 2,500 shares of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock (“Series A Convertible Preferred Stock”)
and warrants to purchase shares up to 2,500,000 shares of common stock in several tranche closings.
On May 10, 2024, we sold 100
shares of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock and warrants to purchase 80,000 shares of common stock with an exercise price of $12.50,
for a total purchase price of $1.0 million. The purchase price was paid by the surrender and cancellation
of a term note issued by us to Orchid of $311,356, consisting of $310,000 of principal and $1,356 of accrued and unpaid interest, $100,000
discount and net cash of $588,644. On June 25, 2024, we sold 150 shares of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock and warrants to
purchase 120,000 shares of common stock with an exercise price of $12.50, for a total purchase price of $1.5 million. The
purchase price was paid in cash. On August 19, 2024, we sold 200 shares of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock and warrant to purchase
160,000 shares of common stock with an exercise price of $12.50, for a total purchase price of $2.0 million. The purchase price was paid
in cash. On August 21, 2024, we sold 250 shares of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock and warrant to purchase 200,000 shares of common
stock with an exercise price of $12.50, for a total purchase price of $2.5 million less $100,000 discount. The purchase price was paid
in cash.
Pursuant
to the Orchid SPA, Orchid has agreed to purchase the remaining 1,800 Preferred Shares based on our achievement of the milestones set forth
below (the “Milestones”):
•
200 Preferred Shares, for $2,000,000, within 60 days of the effectiveness of the resale registration statement (the “Registration Statement”) and the execution of a partnership agreement with a nationally renowned research facility for a clinical trial (the “Fourth Tranche”); and
•
100 Preferred Shares, for $1,000,000, on each monthly anniversary of the effectiveness of the resale registration statement, which was declared effective on July 9, 2024, until all remaining 1,600 Preferred Shares have been sold (each, a “Final Tranche”).
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Notwithstanding
the foregoing Milestones, Orchid has the ability to invest any amount in its sole discretion in advance of the dates that the foregoing
Milestones shall have been met. In the event that the average closing price of the common stock during the three trading days preceding
the date of a tranche closing shall not be equal to or greater than $2.50 a share (the “Floor Price”), then the applicable
closing shall be delayed until such time as the price meets the required threshold. We agreed to
pay Ault Lending an origination fee of five percent (5%) of the total gross proceeds we receive from Orchid upon each purchase of Series
A Convertible Preferred Stock. We also agreed to pay Orchid a fee of $100,000 upon the first closing, which occurred on May 10, 2024,
the Fourth Tranche and the third, eighth and thirteenth closings constituting parts of the Final Tranche.
The
Registration Statement registering for resale the shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of the Series A Convertible Preferred
Stock and exercise of the warrants was declared effective on July 9, 2024. In addition, we agreed to use our best efforts to hold a special
meeting of our stockholders within 90 days of the execution date of the Orchid SPA for purposes of seeking stockholder approval of the
issuance of all the shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of the Series A Convertible Preferred Stock and the exercise of the
warrants in excess of the “Nasdaq Limit,” which is 19.99% of our shares of common stock issued and outstanding on the execution
date of the Orchid SPA. We held a special meeting of stockholders on July 8, 2024, at which time, the stockholders approved the issuance
of all the shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of the Series A Convertible Preferred Stock and the exercise of the warrants
in excess of the “Nasdaq Limit.”
The
Series A Convertible Preferred Stock has a stated value of $10,000 per share (“Series
A Stated Value”) and accrues dividends at the rate of 15% per annum, payable quarterly in arrears in cash or paid-in-kind
shares, in Orchid’s sole discretion. Each share of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock is convertible into a number of shares of
common stock determined by dividing the Series A Stated Value by (y)
the greater of (i) the Floor Price and (ii) the lesser of (A) $15.00 and (B) 80% of the lowest closing price of our common stock during
the three trading days immediately prior to the date of conversion into conversion shares (the “ Series
A Conversion Price”). The Series A Conversion Price is subject to adjustment
in the event of an issuance of common stock at a price per share lower than the Series A Conversion
Price then in effect, as well as upon customary stock splits, stock dividends, combinations or similar events. The holders of the Series
A Convertible Preferred Stock are entitled to vote with the common stock as a single class on an as-converted basis, subject to applicable
law provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law and Nasdaq, provided however, that for purposes of complying with Nasdaq regulations,
the conversion price, for purposes of determining the number of votes the holder of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock is entitled to
cast, shall not be lower than $5.63 (the “Series A Voting Floor Price”), which represents the closing sale price of the common
stock on the trading day immediately prior to the date of execution of the Orchid SPA. The Series A Voting Floor Price shall be adjusted
for stock dividends, stock splits, stock combinations and other similar transactions.
The warrants have an exercise
price of $12.50 (the “ Series A Exercise Price”) and are exercisable upon issuance
and have a five-year term, expiring on the fifth anniversary of issuance. The Series A Exercise
Price is subject to adjustment in the event of an issuance of common stock at a price per share lower than the Series
A Exercise Price then in effect, as well as upon customary stock splits, stock dividends, combinations or similar events. The warrants
are exercisable on a cashless basis in the event that there is not then an effective resale registration statement for the common stock
issuable upon exercise of the warrants.
Cash Flows
The following table summarizes
our cash flows for the three months ended July 31, 2024 and 2023:
For the Three Months Ended July 31,
2024
2023
Net cash provided by (used in):
Operating activities
$ (1,055,742 )
$ (3,298,200 )
Investing activities
(90,000 )
(147,243 )
Financing activities
1,963,644
-
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
$ 817,902
$ (3,445,443 )
Operating Activities
During the three months ended
July 31, 2024, net cash used in operating activities was $1.1 million. This consisted primarily of a net loss of $974,000 and a decrease
in our net operating assets and liabilities of $185,000, partially offset by non-cash charges of $103,000. The non-cash charges primarily
consisted of stock-based compensation expense. The decrease in our net operating assets and liabilities was due to a decrease in accounts
payable and accrued liabilities and an increase in prepaid expenses and other current assets.
Investing Activities
During the three months ended
July 31, 2024, net cash used in investing activities was $90,000 from the purchase of equipment. We purchased equipment, which measures
lithium levels in the brain, to be used in the AL001 clinical trial.
25
Financing Activities
During the three months ended
July 31, 2024, net cash provided by financing activities was $2.0 million from the sale of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock.
Contractual Obligations
On July 2, 2018, we entered
into two Standard Exclusive License Agreements with Sublicensing Terms for AL001 with the Licensor and its affiliate, the University of
South Florida (the “AL001 Licenses”), pursuant to which the Licensor granted us a royalty bearing exclusive worldwide licenses
limited to the field of Alzheimer’s, under United States Patent Nos. (i) 9,840,521, entitled “Organic Anion Lithium Ionic
Cocrystal Compounds and Compositions,” filed September 24, 2015 and granted December 12, 2017, and (ii) 9,603,869, entitled “Lithium
Co-Crystals for Treatment of Neuropsychiatric Disorders,” filed May 21, 2016 and granted March 28, 2017. On February 1, 2019, we
entered into the First Amendments to the AL001 Licenses, on March 30, 2021, we entered into the Second Amendments to the AL001 Licenses
and on June 8, 2023, we entered into the Third Amendments to the AL001 Licenses (collectively, the “AL001 License Agreements”).
The Third Amendments to the AL001 Licenses modified the timing of the payments of the license fees.
The AL001 License Agreements
require that we pay combined royalty payments of 4.5% on net sales of products developed from the licensed technology for AL001. We have
already paid an initial license fee of $200,000 for AL001. As an additional licensing fee for the license of the AL001 technologies, the
Licensor received 14,853 shares of our common stock. Minimum royalties for AL001 License Agreements are $40,000 on the first anniversary
of the first commercial sale, $80,000 on the second anniversary of the first commercial sale and $100,000 on the third anniversary of
the first commercial sale and every year thereafter, for the life of the AL001 License Agreements.
On May 1, 2016, we entered
into a Standard Exclusive License Agreement with Sublicensing Terms for ALZN002 with the Licensor (the “ALZN002 License”),
pursuant to which the Licensor granted us a royalty bearing exclusive worldwide license limited to the field of Alzheimer’s Immunotherapy
and Diagnostics, under United States Patent No. 8,188,046, entitled “Amyloid Beta Peptides and Methods of Use,” filed April
7, 2009 and granted May 29, 2012. On August 18, 2017, we entered into the First Amendment to the ALZN002 License, on May 7, 2018, we entered
into the Second Amendment to the ALZN002 License, on January 31, 2019, we entered into the Third Amendment to the ALZN002 License, on
January 24, 2020, we entered into the Fourth Amendment to the ALZN002 License, on March 30, 2021, we entered into the Fifth Amendment
to the ALZN002 License, on April 17, 2023, we entered into the Sixth Amendment to the ALZN002 License and on December 11, 2023, we entered
into the Seventh Amendment to the ALZN002 License (collectively, the “ALZN002 License Agreement”). The Seventh Amendment to
the ALZN002 License modified the timing of the payments of the license fees.
The ALZN002 License Agreement
requires us to pay royalty payments of 4% on net sales of products developed from the licensed technology for ALZN002. We have already
paid an initial license fee of $200,000 for ALZN002. As an additional licensing fee for the license of ALZN002, the Licensor received
24,012 shares of our common stock. Minimum royalties for ALZN002 are $20,000 on the first anniversary of the first commercial sale, $40,000
on the second anniversary of the first commercial sale and $50,000 on the third anniversary of the first commercial sale and every year
thereafter, for the life of the ALZN002 License Agreement.
On November 19, 2019, we entered
into two Standard Exclusive License Agreements with Sublicensing Terms for two additional indications of AL001 with the Licensor (the
“November AL001 License”), pursuant to which the Licensor granted us a royalty bearing exclusive worldwide licenses limited
to the fields of (i) neurodegenerative diseases excluding Alzheimer’s and (ii) psychiatric diseases and disorders. On March 30,
2021, we entered into the First Amendments to the November AL001 License and on April 17, 2023, we entered into the Second Amendments
to the November AL001 License (collectively, the “November AL001 License Agreements”). The Second Amendments to the November
AL001 License modified the timing of the payments of the license fees.
The November AL001 License
Agreements require us to pay royalty payments of 3% on net sales of products developed from the licensed technology for AL001 in those
fields. We paid an initial license fee of $20,000 for the additional indications. Minimum royalties for November AL001 License Agreements
are $40,000 on the first anniversary of the first commercial sale, $80,000 on the second anniversary of the first commercial sale and
$100,000 on the third anniversary of the first commercial sale and every year thereafter, for the life of the November AL001 License Agreements.
These license agreements have
an indefinite term that continue until the later of the date no licensed patent under the applicable agreement remains a pending application
or enforceable patent, the end date of any period of market exclusivity granted by a governmental regulatory body, or the date on which
the licensee’s obligations to pay royalties expire under the applicable license agreement. Under our various license agreements,
if we fail to meet a milestone by its specified date, Licensor may terminate the license agreement. The Licensor was also granted a preemptive
right to acquire such shares or other equity securities that may be issued from time to time by us while the Licensor remains the owner
of any equity securities of our company.
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Additionally, we are required
to complete milestones and make payments on the due dates to the Licensor for the license of the AL001 technologies and for the ALZN002
technology, as follows:
Original AL001 Licenses:
Payment
Due Date
Event
$
50,000
*
Completed September 2019
Pre-IND meeting
$
65,000
*
Completed June 2021
IND application filing
$
190,000
*
Completed December 2021
Upon first dosing of patient in a clinical trial
$
500,000
*
Completed March 2022
Upon completion of first clinical trial
$
1,250,000
March 2025
Upon first patient treated in a Phase III clinical trial
$
10,000,000
8 years from the effective date of the agreement
Upon FDA new drug application approval
* Milestone met and payment made
ALZN002 License:
Payment
Due Date
$
50,000
*
Upon IND application - completed January 2022
$
50,000
Upon first dosing of patient in first Phase I clinical trial
$
500,000
Upon completion of first Phase IIB clinical trial
$
1,000,000
Upon first patient treated in a Phase III clinical trial
$
10,000,000
Upon first commercial sale
* Milestone met and payment made
Additional AL001 Licenses:
Payment
Due Date
Event
$
2,000,000
March 2026
Upon first patient treated in a Phase III clinical trial
$
16,000,000
August 1, 2029
First commercial sale
Recent Accounting Standards
None.
ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Because we are a smaller reporting
company, this section is not applicable.
Text extracted from the filing as submitted to EDGAR. Formatting, tables and exhibits are simplified for reading; the original document is authoritative for anything you rely on.